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Mildred: You are a “published model” whose work “explores healing, identity, and transformation through honest, faith rooted storytelling.” The modeling industry and faith can be considered to be worlds apart. How do you/did you reconcile these two?
Miraculousthemodel: Thank you for this question. I appreciate it because with my pen name Miraculousthemodel and the way my work is described, I understand how this could be interpreted in different ways.
When my work is described as exploring healing, identity, and transformation through honest, faith rooted storytelling, that description refers specifically to my writing, not my modeling portfolio. My AllPoetry page is a literary space where I introduce myself as a poet and storyteller. Modeling is my profession, but poetry is where I process life, reflect, and tell stories. I am a model who writes.
As for reconciling faith and modeling, that journey was not immediate. It wasn’t driven by fear so much as discernment. I was raised with strong faith, and as a pastor’s daughter, I was very aware of my upbringing and the expectations around me. I wanted to honor God, my parents, and myself at the same time.
When I first came to the United States, I explored modeling quietly. I attended auditions on my own and kept it private because I wasn’t sure how it would be received. I carried internal questions about whether wanting to model meant disappointing God or my family, especially given how misunderstood the industry can be.
That tension resolved after an honest conversation with my father. When I shared my interest in modeling, he encouraged me to pursue it if it was truly in my heart. He reminded me that my foundation was already strong, that my body was something to honor, and that I should never allow the world to change who I am. His guidance brought clarity and peace.
From that moment, I understood that faith and creativity do not have to be in conflict. My relationship with God is personal and consistent. It does not change depending on the space I am in. It informs how I live, how I treat people, how I set boundaries, and how I carry myself professionally.
I reconcile faith and modeling through integrity. I do not fragment myself into different identities. Modeling and writing are different expressions, but they come from the same values. Faith does not require me to abandon creativity, and creativity does not require me to abandon faith. They meet in discipline, self-respect, and honesty.
In that sense, they are not worlds apart. They are simply different spaces I enter as the same woman.
Mildred: Your pen name is Miraculousthemodel. Any deeper meaning or history behind this pen name?
Miraculousthemodel: Miraculous comes from my given name, Miracle. It was a name my uncle affectionately gave me and used often. He would announce his presence by singing “Miraculous” before he reached our house, sometimes minutes away. That became his way of letting me know he was near.
Over time, Miraculous became what people naturally called me, especially within my community. It was my nickname long before I moved to the United States, and I embraced it because it felt true to who I am.
Modeling is my profession and part of how I am recognized in the world. Even as I write poetry, I remain who I am, allowing my creative expressions to exist together. I am a model who writes. Keeping the name Miraculousthemodel honors that integration. It reflects authenticity rather than reinvention.
Mildred: I am the one who invited you to participate in the Afrogoth contest, after I had read your poems “The Power of Music “, “ Tell Me About It” and Survival Was Not The Destination” with its powerful line “I forgot I was allowed to want". What was it about the Afrogoth contest that inspired you to participate with “Gatecrash in Country Cloth”?
Miraculousthemodel: Receiving the invitation itself woke me up. After years of writing in silence , being personally invited to participate felt like recognition and encouragement. It reminded me that my voice and perspective were welcome.
As I explored the contest further, the Afrogoth theme resonated strongly. It treats clothing not as surface or trend, but as memory, resistance, and story. The way it allows history, fashion, and reinterpretation to exist together immediately spoke to me.
As an African woman born and raised in Liberia, the space felt personal. Liberia is one of Africa’s oldest countries and endured sixteen years of civil war, while continuing the long work of rebuilding. Engaging African history and identity through Afrogoth felt meaningful because it created room to honor resilience, memory, and the beauty that survives beyond hardship.
Gatecrash in Country Cloth grew from that connection. I wanted to honor African textile traditions as living records of history and resistance, and to explore how what was once misnamed or diminished can be reimagined as powerful and beautiful. The contest gave me the freedom to let history walk the runway without asking for approval.
Mildred: How long did it take you to write “Gatecrash in Country Cloth”?
Miraculousthemodel: The poem came together over about 12 to 16 hours, beginning late at night and continuing into the next morning. That time included research, revisiting history and memory, and shaping the poem until everything settled. While the writing happened within that window, it was informed by years of lived experience growing up in Liberia and carrying those histories with me.
Mildred: The accompanying photo was Liberian fashion designer and model Diamond Delbee Bestman. Why did you pick this particular photo?
I chose this photo because it visually mirrors what the poem is doing on the page. It presents Liberian country cloth as living, intentional, and contemporary, not as costume or reenactment.
In the image, Diamond is not performing the cloth. She is engaging with it. Her posture, inward focus, and the way she holds the fabric suggest care, inheritance, and calm confidence. To me, the image says, “This is not being displayed. This is being held.” Like my poem, it carries authority without asking for permission.
Mildred: If you were a judge for the contest, which of the entries would you pick for gold, silver, and bronze?
Miraculousthemodel: As a judge, I would look for work that embodied Afrogoth as transformation rather than surface aesthetic.
For gold, I would choose a poem with strong conceptual depth and historical awareness, where every image served the larger idea and the voice carried authority without explanation.
For silver, I would select a poem that was emotionally resonant and original in perspective, balancing imagination with grounded reflection.
For bronze, I would recognize a poem that embraced creative risk, playfulness, or experimentation, reminding us that Afrogoth also lives in joy, movement, and bold expression.
Overall, I would value work that understands Afrogoth as alchemy, the transformation of what was once imposed or misunderstood into something self defined and alive.
Mildred: Advice for new poets? Advice for new models?
Miraculousthemodel: For new poets, write what feels true, even if it is messy or unfinished. Poetry is not meant to be flawless. It is meant to be felt. Not everything you write is for everybody, and that is okay. Write to learn, to heal, and to understand yourself before trying to impress anyone else. Read widely, learn from others, but always return to your own voice. Not everything you write needs to be shared, but everything you write should teach you something.
For new models, remember that modeling is more than being seen. It is about how you carry yourself and what you represent. Do not limit yourself to one label. This industry is not a competition. Designers choose who fits their vision, not who is better. Respect others, stay professional, protect your well being, and keep learning. There is a season for everything. Give your best in each season and allow yourself room to grow.
As Dr. Gregory Nash says, perfection is not the goal. Progress is. Both poetry and modeling require honesty, discipline, and presence. Neither requires perfection. Both require showing up as yourself.
Mildred: You are a “published model” whose work “explores healing, identity, and transformation through honest, faith rooted storytelling.” The modeling industry and faith can be considered to be worlds apart. How do you/did you reconcile these two?
Miraculousthemodel: Thank you for this question. I appreciate it because with my pen name Miraculousthemodel and the way my work is described, I understand how this could be interpreted in different ways.
When my work is described as exploring healing, identity, and transformation through honest, faith rooted storytelling, that description refers specifically to my writing, not my modeling portfolio. My AllPoetry page is a literary space where I introduce myself as a poet and storyteller. Modeling is my profession, but poetry is where I process life, reflect, and tell stories. I am a model who writes.
As for reconciling faith and modeling, that journey was not immediate. It wasn’t driven by fear so much as discernment. I was raised with strong faith, and as a pastor’s daughter, I was very aware of my upbringing and the expectations around me. I wanted to honor God, my parents, and myself at the same time.
When I first came to the United States, I explored modeling quietly. I attended auditions on my own and kept it private because I wasn’t sure how it would be received. I carried internal questions about whether wanting to model meant disappointing God or my family, especially given how misunderstood the industry can be.
That tension resolved after an honest conversation with my father. When I shared my interest in modeling, he encouraged me to pursue it if it was truly in my heart. He reminded me that my foundation was already strong, that my body was something to honor, and that I should never allow the world to change who I am. His guidance brought clarity and peace.
From that moment, I understood that faith and creativity do not have to be in conflict. My relationship with God is personal and consistent. It does not change depending on the space I am in. It informs how I live, how I treat people, how I set boundaries, and how I carry myself professionally.
I reconcile faith and modeling through integrity. I do not fragment myself into different identities. Modeling and writing are different expressions, but they come from the same values. Faith does not require me to abandon creativity, and creativity does not require me to abandon faith. They meet in discipline, self-respect, and honesty.
In that sense, they are not worlds apart. They are simply different spaces I enter as the same woman.
Mildred: Your pen name is Miraculousthemodel. Any deeper meaning or history behind this pen name?
Miraculousthemodel: Miraculous comes from my given name, Miracle. It was a name my uncle affectionately gave me and used often. He would announce his presence by singing “Miraculous” before he reached our house, sometimes minutes away. That became his way of letting me know he was near.
Over time, Miraculous became what people naturally called me, especially within my community. It was my nickname long before I moved to the United States, and I embraced it because it felt true to who I am.
Modeling is my profession and part of how I am recognized in the world. Even as I write poetry, I remain who I am, allowing my creative expressions to exist together. I am a model who writes. Keeping the name Miraculousthemodel honors that integration. It reflects authenticity rather than reinvention.
Mildred: I am the one who invited you to participate in the Afrogoth contest, after I had read your poems “The Power of Music “, “ Tell Me About It” and Survival Was Not The Destination” with its powerful line “I forgot I was allowed to want". What was it about the Afrogoth contest that inspired you to participate with “Gatecrash in Country Cloth”?
Miraculousthemodel: Receiving the invitation itself woke me up. After years of writing in silence , being personally invited to participate felt like recognition and encouragement. It reminded me that my voice and perspective were welcome.
As I explored the contest further, the Afrogoth theme resonated strongly. It treats clothing not as surface or trend, but as memory, resistance, and story. The way it allows history, fashion, and reinterpretation to exist together immediately spoke to me.
As an African woman born and raised in Liberia, the space felt personal. Liberia is one of Africa’s oldest countries and endured sixteen years of civil war, while continuing the long work of rebuilding. Engaging African history and identity through Afrogoth felt meaningful because it created room to honor resilience, memory, and the beauty that survives beyond hardship.
Gatecrash in Country Cloth grew from that connection. I wanted to honor African textile traditions as living records of history and resistance, and to explore how what was once misnamed or diminished can be reimagined as powerful and beautiful. The contest gave me the freedom to let history walk the runway without asking for approval.
Mildred: How long did it take you to write “Gatecrash in Country Cloth”?
Miraculousthemodel: The poem came together over about 12 to 16 hours, beginning late at night and continuing into the next morning. That time included research, revisiting history and memory, and shaping the poem until everything settled. While the writing happened within that window, it was informed by years of lived experience growing up in Liberia and carrying those histories with me.
Mildred: The accompanying photo was Liberian fashion designer and model Diamond Delbee Bestman. Why did you pick this particular photo?
I chose this photo because it visually mirrors what the poem is doing on the page. It presents Liberian country cloth as living, intentional, and contemporary, not as costume or reenactment.
In the image, Diamond is not performing the cloth. She is engaging with it. Her posture, inward focus, and the way she holds the fabric suggest care, inheritance, and calm confidence. To me, the image says, “This is not being displayed. This is being held.” Like my poem, it carries authority without asking for permission.
Mildred: If you were a judge for the contest, which of the entries would you pick for gold, silver, and bronze?
Miraculousthemodel: As a judge, I would look for work that embodied Afrogoth as transformation rather than surface aesthetic.
For gold, I would choose a poem with strong conceptual depth and historical awareness, where every image served the larger idea and the voice carried authority without explanation.
For silver, I would select a poem that was emotionally resonant and original in perspective, balancing imagination with grounded reflection.
For bronze, I would recognize a poem that embraced creative risk, playfulness, or experimentation, reminding us that Afrogoth also lives in joy, movement, and bold expression.
Overall, I would value work that understands Afrogoth as alchemy, the transformation of what was once imposed or misunderstood into something self defined and alive.
Mildred: Advice for new poets? Advice for new models?
Miraculousthemodel: For new poets, write what feels true, even if it is messy or unfinished. Poetry is not meant to be flawless. It is meant to be felt. Not everything you write is for everybody, and that is okay. Write to learn, to heal, and to understand yourself before trying to impress anyone else. Read widely, learn from others, but always return to your own voice. Not everything you write needs to be shared, but everything you write should teach you something.
For new models, remember that modeling is more than being seen. It is about how you carry yourself and what you represent. Do not limit yourself to one label. This industry is not a competition. Designers choose who fits their vision, not who is better. Respect others, stay professional, protect your well being, and keep learning. There is a season for everything. Give your best in each season and allow yourself room to grow.
As Dr. Gregory Nash says, perfection is not the goal. Progress is. Both poetry and modeling require honesty, discipline, and presence. Neither requires perfection. Both require showing up as yourself.
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